Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

mark.waltz Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts are a social climbing middle aged couple on Long Island, who having made their fortune, now want to be a part of New York's upper crust. Kibbee convinces a young waitress (June Martel) to pose as their daughter so they can throw a coming out party for her in order to enter society. They are assisted by Edward Everett Horton and Nella Walker in their quest, while a young singer (Ross Alexander) takes a shine to Martel after accidentally breaking the heel off her shoe which has gotten stuck in a 5th Avenue sewer cap (and later in the backyard of Kibbee's Long Island mansion). Martel's past comes back to haunt her, threatening to blow Kibbee's and Pitt's dream out of the social register. But then the script looses interest in Kibbee and Pitts, and focuses more on how to get Martel and Alexander together. The result---everything that happens in the first 3/4 ends up pointless and the film finishes on a disappointing note.Warner Brothers during the 1930's could either be socially edgy or groundbreaking and technical. Where it wasn't successful was doing society comedy like Paramount, RKO and MGM did, even if they did have a top drawer art department. Prior to the production code, WB could churn out acceptable society comedies as long as they were utilizing things the code forced them to get rid of. In the case of "Going Highbrow", the results of this poor script that remains amazingly unfunny in spite of its comic leads are mediocre. June Martel made only a few more films at Warner Brothers before moving onto the poverty row studios and disappeared altogether. She's alright here, but nothing amazing considering the slew of leading ladies they already had at Warners.

MartinHafer This film is a wonderful example of a rotten plot yet wonderful characters. It appeared as if the film were actually written by two people--one for the plot and one who strictly designed the characters and wrote the dialog. As for the plot itself, it's easy to sum up with one word--"stupid". Instead of trying to describe it, just let it go with that! But as for the characters, I have always been a sucker for colorful character actors and this one has Edward Everett Horton, Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts (in a rather restrained performance, thank goodness). And the writers infused these characters with wonderful personalities that were very much in line with their normal screen personas. Kibbee was a not overly bright but decent "normal guy", Zasu played a bumpkin of sorts who wanted "class" and Horton played a rich but decent schemer. Together, they helped to infuse the film with enough warmth and humanity that I was able to overlook the films MANY deficiencies and just enjoy it. While this is certainly NOT a film you should rush to see, it's a very amiable time-passer and a good example of a quality B-movie.

Neil Doyle Even the presence of EDWARD EVERETT HORTON who is at his flustered best, can't save this innocuous little comedy from being a total bore.ROSS Alexander's career never did materialize as Warner Bros. hoped, and this film must be one of the reasons why. He's the spoiled rich boy in a girl meets boy story striving for a Cinderella touch, since the girl is a poor waitress posing as the daughter of a rich couple so that they can mingle with high society.Nothing works, not even the idea of a waitress disguised as a rich girl. ZaSu PITTS and GUY KIBBEE are the wealthy couple and JUNE MARTEL plays the hapless girl, making no impression at all.Even for a programmer, it's a total waste of time.

aimless-46 "All in all, "Going Highbrow" (1935) is a pretty good post production code comedy although its rather fragmented structure works against efforts to make it a unified story.Cora (Zasu Pitts) and Matt (Guy Kilbee) Upshaw are hicks from Wellington, Kansas who accidentally made big money at the start of the stock market crash. Matt's broker misunderstood Matt's instructions and invested all his money in put (sell) options for a single stock, the total opposite of Matt's intentions. After the price declined no one exercised their options to buy and Matt got to keep all the proceeds. Matt is still simple and unpretentious but Cora is determined to crash New York's "Society 400" list. The "nouveau riche" Upshaws enlist the old money (but none left) Marsh family to introduce Cora to the proper people. Part of the scheme involves hiring struggling actress Sandy Long (June Martel) to play Cora's daughter. This sets up an extremely lame romance between Martel and Ross Alexander, who plays the Marsh son. Edward Everett Horton plays Augie Winterspoon, the Marsh's financial adviser. He tries valiantly to link the story elements together. The soon to be famous singer, yodeler, cowgirl Judy Canova does a nice job in a small supporting part as Sandy's coworker."Going Highbrow" is a must see for fans of Zasu Pitts as she dominates the first half of the film with a somewhat different variation on her airhead character. Instead of her usual scatterbrain adventures she plays a self-absorbed social climber, but still manages to infuse the role with her usual comic touches. Pitts was one of the few comedians whose gift for dialogue and expression was effectively complemented by a talent for physical comedy. Because her technique has never gone out of style, her films (including this one) do not seem nearly as dated as other productions from the same time period. Credit Una Merkel, Gloria Grahame, Goldie Hawn, and Brittany Murphy with keeping the Pitts' style alive down though the years.Horton is almost young looking in this film but has already developed most of the comedic touches he would apply to countless character roles during his long career. He really has too much screen time and during the second half you keep wishing for more of Pitts who effectively disappears from the second half of the film. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.